Avery sighed. “Your secret is safe. For now. None of the women have spoken to the men about it, but I recommend you go easy on your revulsion, lest you draw even more attention to yourself. There are ways to work around a man’s orders without defying him outright.”
Ailill adjusted Avery’s apron so that he could peek just a little over the material. I smiled at him. He ducked immediately back under the apron.
Avery watched our exchange and hugged Ailill closer. She kissed him atop his head and rustled her hand through his short black hair. She stood and pulled Ailill up with her.
“You’d better get home,” she said. “It’ll be sunrise soon, and they’ll notice you’re missing.”
She tapped him on the back and pushed him forward toward the dirt path through the village. Ailill stopped a few paces from us, pausing to look back.
“Go on,” encouraged Avery. She waved him forward.
Ailill did as bidden, walking up the path until he disappeared into the darkness.
Avery put a hand on each hip. My head fell and I stared at her legs, which stood slightly apart.
“Now listen,” she said, every bit Alvilda again. “If there’s anyone who understands hating men, it’s me. But there’s a way and a place for certain things, and I don’t want you to ruin what we’ve started.”
She sighed. “I’ll show you around tomorrow after they free you. If you have any skill with a blade, you may be able to work with an ax. I’m the woodcarver, and tomorrow I’m heading to the woods to chop down a tree.”
My heart ached, hopefully, for the ax, the chisel, and the gouge—for home.
***
“Stay quiet,” murmured Avery out of the corner of her mouth. “Keep your eyes on the ground and move forward quickly. Stick to the side of the path.”
I found it hard to follow her orders, but I kept my head down, my hand clenched tightly on my ax. Disappointed I was no better at the thread and the needle than she was, and reluctant to speak to the other women about me, Avery had done a halfhearted job at sewing up the gashes in the back of my dress. They had few frocks to spare, and she thought it best I not attract attention with my healed back exposed. Even so, it was barely holding together, and I had to walk stiffly to keep it from popping open.
From time to time, my gaze wandered upward, and I caught a glimpse of men laughing and eating, drinking and dancing on the streets and through the building windows. And women and girls, their eyes always on the ground, serving food, sitting on laps, and being pulled and pushed and forced about among the revelry.
When we finally broke free of the village and started down the path toward the woods, I opened my mouth to speak.
Avery hushed me with a slight movement of her hand. “Not yet.”
When we stepped into the woods, and I felt the cover of the trees hide us from view, I spoke. “What’s—”
“Be quiet,” murmured Avery.
I followed her down the path.
Some of the men in chainmail lined the path in the midst of the woods ahead of us. They chatted and leaned against trees or sat on the side of the dirt road. I remembered Avery’s instructions and snapped my head back down.
“Off for more wood today, Carver-woman?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Avery.
She set a foot off of the dirt path and into a familiar route through the trees. I followed after her.
“Don’t go far,” said one of the men.
“Yes, sir.”
A hand reached out to grab my arm and pull me backward.
“It’s her!” cried a man’s voice. Instinctively, even against all I knew in my own version of the village, I looked up at him.
He seemed surprised to see my face. A look of anger and something far more salacious warped his features.
Avery appeared beside me, her eyes locked onto the ground around our feet. “I needed a sturdy hand to help with the chopping, sir,” she said.
I dropped my eyes again.
“She’s a feisty one,” said the man. “Already up and moving. I can see why you’d think she was suited for hard labor.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Avery.
“Carry on,” said the man. He let go of me, but as I turned, I felt a strong slap against my backside and heard the echo of the men’s laughter. My face flushed red, and I bit my tongue so as not to scream.
Avery led me through the unmarked path that I knew led to my secret cavern. The farther we got from the dirt path, the faster she moved. Finally, just before the cave entrance, she gave a tremendous whack to the nearest tree, letting her ax rest in the trunk, and walked into the cave.
I gripped my ax tightly and followed Avery inside.
When we finally reached the pool and the violet glow, Avery faced me, one eyebrow slightly raised. “You walk through a dark cavern sightless with a sharp and deadly weapon in your grasp?”
I shrugged and laid the ax down on a nearby spike. My chest tightened for a moment as I looked at the pool. It could lead me home. But I couldn’t jump in with her watching.
“I’ve been here before,” I said.
“So I see.” Avery sighed. “All right, no more games. Who are you and what are you doing here?”